Powerless hot water pumping apparatus

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a powerless hot water pumping apparatus which receives cold water through a supply pipe equipped with a backflow prevention check valve, and which generates hot water and powerlessly discharges the hot water through a discharge pipe. The powerless hot water pumping apparatus comprises an electric heater which generates heat when supplied with electric power; an upper cylinder which accommodates the electric heater therein, to the top of which the supply pipe is connected, wherein a steam generating space of a predetermined size is interposed between the inner surface of the upper cylinder and the electric heater; and a lower cylinder which is arranged beneath the upper cylinder, the top of which is in communication with the bottom of the upper cylinder through a connection passage, and to the bottom of the discharge pipe is connected. Hot water generated in the lower cylinder is automatically discharged by the steam pressure which is generated in the steam generating space of the upper cylinder by means of the heat generated by the electric heater.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a powerless hot water pumping apparatus, and more particularly, to a powerless hot water pumping apparatus which pumps hot water by a steam pressure generated by heat of an electric heater to be used for various heating products including mat, bed, pad and under-floor heating room.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, to heat pads or mats, electrothermal wires are installed therein and electric power is supplied thereto to generate heat by electric resistance conventionally. Such electric pads or mats using electric power inevitably cause electromagnetic wave which affects greatly to human body, and may cause even fire due to overheat and short-circuit from direct use of electricity. Thus, this has a significant problem in safety.

To solve the foregoing problem as a result of the conventional electrothermal heating, heating technologies using hot water have been disclosed, most of which heat stored water through a heating device and circulate the heated water through an additional power device such as a water pump. The foregoing type requires additional power device, leading to larger size and complicated configuration.

Accordingly, a powerless hot water circulating apparatus which does not require the power device and circulates hot water powerlessly has been disclosed, which is Korean Patent No. 10-0526791 Hot Water Automatic Circulating Apparatus.

However, the above Korean Patent No. 10-0526791 Hot Water Automatic Circulating Apparatus has the following problems:

First, within the Apparatus, an electric heater is provided in a lower part of a boiler filled with a certain quantity of water continues to generate a steam pressure and discharges all of water therefrom. Thus, the temperature of water discharged lastly reaches to 100° C. and the temperature of discharged water is excessively high as the water is discharged together with steam. This causes burn to a user due to excessively high temperature of hot water.

Second, as the hot water discharged lastly is discharged together with stream from the boiler as described above, noise occurs from the steam and causes inconvenience to a user.

Third, as the boiler receives cold water to proceed with a next circulation cycle after discharging all of water therefrom, the circulation cycle does not operate properly if a heating product such as a mat and bed receiving the hot water is located in a lower place than the hot water automatic circulating device.

That is, when the location of the water thank is lower than or similar to that of the heating product, hot water is easily discharged from the boiler not only by the steam pressure within the boiler but also inertia acting in a water flow direction by the principle of Siphon. However, if the location of the water tank is higher than the heating product, gravity affects water within a discharging pipe and collection pipe as much as the difference of height between the water tank and heating product and thus hot water should be discharged by larger stream pressure.

As the steam pressure within the boiler should be higher naturally, time for generating a negative pressure after the discharge of hot water increases and the electric heater should heat the boiler without water for such increased time. If the electric heater receives cold water, it receives a thermal shock and causes noise and the life of the electric heater may be reduced. Also, the negative pressure is not generated properly within the boiler due to the continuous heating of the electric heater, and a normal circulation cycle of hot water may not be performed.

Such problem may be caused by not only the relative location of the water tank and the heating product, but also when friction force increases according to flow of hot water as an internal diameter of a hot water supply pipe is small or a length thereof exceeds a certain length.

Fourth, when cold water is supplied to the boiler after the end of the circulation cycle of hot water, noise occurs due to a strong induction of the cold water and causes unpleasant feeling for a user. That is, if the negative pressure is generated within the boiler after the hot water is completely discharged from the boiler, a check valve is open and cold water is supplied from the water tank to the boiler. If some cold water is supplied to the boiler from which the hot water has been completely discharged, the pressure within the boiler sharply decreases and the cold water is strongly induced from the water tank and causes heavy noise.

Lastly, hot water may be generated and supplied when there is a certain space within the boiler to generate a negative pressure in proportion to the capacity of the electric heater. Thus, the size of the boiler is not decided voluntarily and should be larger than a certain size naturally. Also, the water tank which supplies cold water to the boiler and stores therein the collected cold water should be designed in a certain capacity. Accordingly, there is a limitation in down-scaling the apparatus due to the size of the boiler and water tank.

DISCLOSURE Technical Problem

The present invention has been made to solve the problems and it is an object of the present invention to provide a powerless hot water pumping apparatus which comprises an upper cylinder that accommodates an electric heater therein and instantly generates a steam pressure within a relatively small space and a lower cylinder which generates hot water in a relatively large space, and supplies hot water continuously in a certain quantity by the instant steam pressure generated from the upper cylinder to thereby generate and supply hot water more stably and efficiently.

Technical Solution

In order to achieve the object of the present invention,

a powerless hot water pumping apparatus which receives cold water through a supply pipe equipped with a backflow prevention check valve and generates hot water and powerlessly discharges the hot water through a discharge pipe comprises an electric heater which generates heat when supplied with electric power; an upper cylinder which accommodates the electric heater therein, to the top of which the supply pipe is connected, wherein a steam generating space of a predetermined size is interposed between an inner surface of the upper cylinder and the electric heater; and a lower cylinder which is arranged beneath the upper cylinder, the top of which is in communication with a bottom of the upper cylinder through a connection passage, and to the bottom of the discharge pipe is connected. Hot water generated in the lower cylinder is automatically discharged by the steam pressure which is generated in the steam generating space of the upper cylinder by means of the heat generated by the electric heater.

Preferably, the connection passage enables a central part of the bottom of the upper cylinder to communicate with a central part of the top of the lower cylinder.

The powerless hot water pumping apparatus further comprises first and second power control sensors which are provided in an external surface of the upper cylinder and an external surface of the lower cylinder, respectively, and sense temperature, and shut off power supplied to the electric heater if the temperature exceeds a set temperature.

Advantageous Effect

As described above, a powerless hot water pumping apparatus according to the present invention

comprises an upper cylinder which is equipped with an electric heater and generates a steam pressures within a relatively small space and a lower cylinder which generates hot water within a relatively large space, and continues to discharge hot water in certain quantity by the steam pressure generated instantly and thus stably supplies hot water regardless of a location of a heating product, a size of diameter of a discharge pipe and friction force due to the length thereof.

The powerless hot water pumping apparatus efficiently adjusts the temperature of discharged hot water or intensity of the generated steam pressure by modifying a size of the upper and lower cylinder and the size of the electric heater and upper cylinder.

The size of the upper and lower cylinders and the size of the water tank may be designed in a proper size to be consistent with the heating product employing the powerless hot water pumping apparatus to thereby down-scaling the powerless hot water pumping apparatus and improve thermal efficiency further.

The powerless hot water pumping apparatus continues to discharge hot water in certain quantity and receives cold water as much as the discharged hot water instead of receiving the cold water after discharging all of water within the cylinder in a conventional art, and rarely causes noise due to discharge of hot water or supply of cold water and does not cause any inconvenience for a user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a powerless hot water pumping apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the powerless hot water pumping apparatus in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the powerless hot water pumping apparatus in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a hot water circulation system in which the powerless hot water pumping apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is installed.

BEST MODE

Hereinafter, a powerless hot water pumping apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to accompanying drawings.

In explaining the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, anything which is known to the skilled in the art and may make the technical nature of the present invention unclear unnecessarily such as the known function or configuration will not be described in detail.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a powerless hot water pumping apparatus 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the powerless hot water pumping apparatus 1 in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the powerless hot water pumping apparatus 1 in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a hot water circulation system in which the powerless hot water pumping apparatus 1 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is installed.

As shown therein, a powerless hot water pumping apparatus 1 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an upper cylinder 10, a lower cylinder 20, a connection passage 30 which connects the upper and lower cylinders 10 and 20, an electric heater 40 which is equipped in the upper cylinder 10 and power control sensors 50 a and 50 b which control a heating operation of the electric heater 40.

The upper cylinder 10 has a predetermined length in a horizontal direction, and is hollow therein. The section of the upper cylinder 10 is not limited and may vary including a circular or rectangular shape.

A supply member 11 is formed in an upper side of the upper cylinder 10 to receive cold water, and is connected through a water tank 2 storing water therein and a supply pipe 3.

The lower cylinder 20 is provided in a bottom of the upper cylinder 10 and has a predetermined length in a horizontal direction and is hollow therein like the upper cylinder 10. The section of the lower cylinder 20 is not limited and may vary including a circular or rectangular shape. The section of the lower cylinder 20 may be different from that of the upper cylinder 10.

A discharge member 21 which discharges generated hot water is formed in a lower side of the lower cylinder 20, and is connected through a heating product 7 such as a mat, pad or under-floor heating room and a discharge pipe 5.

The upper and lower cylinders 10 and 20 are coupled to and communicate with each other through the connection passage 30. The connection passage 30 is formed to enable a central part of the bottom of the upper cylinder 10 to communicate with a central part of the top of the lower cylinder 20.

The electric heater 40 performs a heating operation by electric power supplied and is accommodated by the upper cylinder 10.

The electric heater 40 has a cylindrical shape like the upper cylinder 10, and the section thereof is preferably consistent with that of the upper cylinder 10. That is, if the upper cylinder 10 has a cylindrical shape, the electric heater 40 preferably has a cylindrical shape. If the upper cylinder 10 has a rectangular shape, the electric heater 40 preferably has a rectangular shape. The electric heater 40 may employ a cylindrical cartridge heater or a rectangular ceramic heater.

As the electric heater 40 is accommodated by and installed in the upper cylinder 10, a relatively small space is formed within the upper cylinder 10 excluding the part where the electric heater 40 is located. That is, a small space is formed between an internal surface of the upper cylinder 10 and an external surface of the electric heater 40, from which steam is generated by heat of the electric heater 40. This space is defined as a steam generating space 12 according to the present invention.

The steam generating space 12 has its size determined depending on a difference between a diameter of the upper cylinder 10 and a diameter of the electric heater 40.

If the size of the steam generating space 12 is too small, excessive heat is supplied to the steam generating space 12 from the electric heater 40, and the pressure of the steam generating space 12 does not decrease by a negative pressure even after hot water is discharged. Then, a continuous hot water pumping operation may not be available. If the size of the steam generating space 12 is too large, a steam pressure generated may be weak due to insufficient heat supply and the pumping operation may not be properly performed. Thus, the steam generating space 12 should have a proper size depending on the capacity of the electric heater 40.

As described above, the upper cylinder 10 and the lower cylinder 20 are separated from each other and are in communication with each other by the connection passage 30. According to the heat of the electric heater 40, the upper cylinder 10 functions as a steam generating part in which the steam generating space that is relatively small generates steam, and the lower cylinder 20 functions as a hot water generating part that generates hot water in a relatively large space and discharges the generated hot water by the steam pressure from the steam generating space 12.

That is, the upper cylinder 10 and the lower cylinder 20 are the steam generating part and the hot water generating part, separately. If heat is supplied by the electric heater 40, the water within the hot water generating space 12 of the upper cylinder 10 is small in quantity and receives heat directly from the electric heater 40 and is changed to steam within relatively short time. However, the water within the lower cylinder 20 is large in quantity and receives heat indirectly from the electric heater 40 and generates hot water as temperature of the water rises more gradually. This is possible since the upper and lower cylinders 10 and 20 are separated from each other and the central parts thereof communicate with each other by the connection passage 30 and the water within the upper and lower cylinders 10 and 20 are not mixed by a convection current.

The power control sensors 50 a and 50 b control power supplied to the electric heater 40 depending on internal temperature of the upper and lower cylinders 10 and 20.

The power control sensors 50 a and 50 b may include a first power control sensor 50 a which is installed in an upper external surface of the upper cylinder 10 and shuts off power supplied to the upper cylinder 10 if the internal temperature of the upper cylinder 10 exceeds a set temperature; and a second power control sensor 50 b which is installed in a lower external surface of the lower cylinder 20 and shuts off power supplied to the lower cylinder 20 if the internal temperature of the lower cylinder 20 exceeds a set temperature.

The first and second power control sensors 50 a and 50 b may include a bimetal sensor. The set temperature of the first power control sensor 50 a may range from 100 to 110° C. and more preferably 105° C. The set temperature of the second power control sensor 50 b may range from 80 to 90° C. and more preferably 85° C.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a hot water circulation system in which the powerless hot water pumping apparatus 1 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is installed. The installation and operation of the powerless hot water pumping apparatus 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4

As shown therein, the powerless hot water pumping apparatus 1 according to the present invention has the upper cylinder 10 connected to the water tank 2 through the supply pipe 3, and the lower cylinder 20 connected to various heating products 7 such as hot water mat or hot water pad to which hot water is supplied through the discharge pipe 5. As the heating product 7 and the water tank 2 are connected by a collection pipe 8, a hot water circulation system is formed.

A check valve 4 is installed in the supply pipe 3 to prevent a backflow, and is closed when the steam pressure is generated from the upper cylinder 10 and is open otherwise by the gravity of water supplied. The check valve 4 is known in the art and details will not be described.

A check valve 6 may also be installed in the discharge pipe 5 to prevent a backflow of hot water when the steam pressure from the upper cylinder 10 decreases by the negative pressure. If the steam pressure decreases by the negative pressure, the check valve 4 of the supply pipe 3 is open and cold water from the water tank 2 is supplied firstly to the upper cylinder 10. Thus, the check valve 6 of the discharge valve 5 may be omitted.

In the circulation system where the powerless hot water pumping apparatus 1 according to the present invention is connected to the water tank 2 and the heating product 7, if water is supplied to the water tank 2, the water is supplied to the powerless hot water pumping apparatus 1 through the supply pie 3 by gravity and supplied to the heating product 7 through the discharge pipe 5 (the check valve 4 of the supply pipe 3 is open).

If electric power is supplied to the electric heater 40 to generate heat, the water in a small quantity within the steam generating space 12 is directly heated and the temperature thereof rises sharply. The large quantity of water within the lower cylinder 20 is indirectly heated (as described above, the cylinders 10 and 20 are separated from each other and a convection current rarely appears) and the temperature thereof rises gradually.

If the temperature of water within the steam generating space 12 rises approximately to 90 to 95° C. according to the continuous heating of the electric heater 40, the water is changed to steam and the steam pressure due to expansion of size starts to be generated.

If the steam pressure is generated from the steam generating space 12, the check valve 4 of the supply pipe 3 is closed by the pressure and the hot water of the communicated lower cylinder 20 starts to be discharged through the discharge pipe 5.

After the certain quantity of hot water is discharged as above, an empty space is formed in the steam generating space 12 as much as the discharged hot water, and the pressure decreases by the negative pressure. Accordingly, the check valve 4 of the supply pipe 3 is open again and cold water is supplied from the water tank 2 to the steam generating space 12 of the upper cylinder 10, and the steam pressure generating process is repeated as described above and the certain quantity of hot water is continuously generated and discharged.

As described above, the powerless hot water pumping apparatus 1 according to the present invention adjusts the size of the steam generating space 12 to thereby adjust the pumping strength thereof.

That is, if the space generating space 12 is small, the quantity of steam increases and a larger steam pressure may be generated and hot water may be discharged by larger force. If the steam generating space 12 is large, the hot water may be discharged by a lower steam pressure according to the decreased quantity of steam.

The powerless hot water pumping apparatus 1 according to the present invention may adjust the temperature of hot water discharged, by adjusting the size of the steam generating space 12 or the size of the lower cylinder 20.

If the steam generating space 12 is small, a large quantity of steam is generated within relatively short time. The hot water generated by the lower cylinder 20 has shorter time to receive heat and the discharged hot water has a relatively lower temperature. In a contrary case, the hot water generated from the lower cylinder 20 receives heat for long time and the discharged hot water has a relatively higher temperature.

If the lower cylinder 20 is small, the relatively small quantity of water within the lower cylinder 20 is mixed with high-temperature water from the steam generating space 12 and hot water with high temperature is discharged. In a contrary case, as the lower cylinder 20 has a large quantity of water therein and hot water with lower temperature is discharged.

Accordingly, to supply hot water with a higher temperature to the heating product 7, the steam generating space 12 should small and the size of the lower cylinder 20 should also be small in the capacity of the same electric heater 40. To supply hot water with a lower temperature, the steam generating space 12 should be large and the size of the lower cylinder 20 should be large.

Although a few exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the range of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. A powerless hot water pumping apparatus 1 which receives cold water through a supply pipe 3 equipped with a backflow prevention check valve 4 and generates hot water and powerlessly discharges the hot water through a discharge pipe 5, the apparatus comprising: an electric heater 40 which generates heat when supplied with electric power; an upper cylinder 10 which accommodates the electric heater 40 therein, to the top of which the supply pipe 3 is connected, wherein a steam generating space 12 of a predetermined size is interposed between an inner surface of the upper cylinder 10 and the electric heater 40; a lower cylinder 20 which is arranged beneath the upper cylinder 10, the top of which is in communication with the bottom of the upper cylinder 10 through a connection passage 30, and to the bottom of the discharge pipe 5 is connected, wherein hot water generated in the lower cylinder 20 is automatically discharged by the steam pressure which is generated in the steam generating space 12 of the upper cylinder 10 by means of the heat generated by the electric heater
 40. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connection passage 30 enables a communication between a central part of the bottom of the upper cylinder 10 and a central part of the top of the lower cylinder
 20. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising first and second control sensors 50 a and 50 b which are provided in an external surface of the upper cylinder 10 and an external surface of the lower cylinder 20, respectively, and sense temperature, and shut off power supplied to the electric heater 40 if the temperature exceeds a set temperature. 